Track construction



L. FORBES.

TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

` K APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1919. 1 $62,484. Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

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A. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP PT. 111111 9. y y1 ,$362,484. Patented DeC.A14, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEANDER FORBES, F'LINT, MICHIGAN.

TRACK Y CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEANDER Forums, a

subject of the King of Great Britain, re-

siding at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Track Constructions, of which the following is a specification. l

The present invention has reference to improvements in railway construction.

The object of the invention is to produce a railway in which the supporting, spacing and securing means for the rails 'are constructed wholly of metal.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a railway construction means for effectively preventing the canting, sinking' or longitudinal movement of the rails except with respect toA the expansion and contraction of said rails.

Other objects and advantages will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, reference being' had to the accompanying dravafings in which there is illustrated a simple and satisfactory reduction of the improvement to practice.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved railway construction.

F ig. 2 is a transverse sectional view approximately von the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view approxi.

mately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the tie sections.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the fish plates.

F ig. 7 is a similar view of one of the clamp members.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation illustrating the manner of locking the nuts on the bolts.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view approximately on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The tie member employed in my improved railway construction comprises body portions 10 which are in the nature of I beams. The head portions 11, however, are of a less width than the base portions 12. Centrally formed with the body ofy each ofthe tie mem.- bers are laterally extending webs 13 formed with laterally arranged base portions 14 that connect with the base portions 12 of the body members 10. The webs 13 are joined to the webs of the body 10, and the outer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1919.

Patented Dee. 14, 1920.

Serial No. 325,788.

edges of the said webs are preferably inclined downwardly or outwardly from their connection of the body portion to the ends of the said webs 13. The heads 11 of the tie members, adjacent to the ends thereof are notched transversely as at 15, the said notches entering the webs of the said body members.

By reference to the drawings it will be noted that the tie sections have their body portions arranged in longitudinal alinement and that the same are arranged in pairs disposed directly opposite one another. The confronting ends ofthe fianged webs 13 do not contact, but if ldesired suitable means, such as an oppositely threaded centrally headed bolt may enter openings in the said confronting ends of the webs, and by adjusting these bolts, which are indicated by the numeral 16 .the oppositely disposed tie sections may be brought toward orl away from each other. This construction is not an absolute necessity, and in fact fact may be entirely dispensed with, as other means, presently to be described, are employed for securing the rails on the ties as well as for retaining the said ties in proper spaced relation to each other, and consequently the rails properly gaged. At the meeting ends of the rails 17, the base flanges of which rails rest upon the head portions 11 of the abutting tie sections, I provide fish plates of a particular and peculiar construction. These connecting plates, indicated by the numerals 18 are of a length to bridge the abutting rails vand are also of a length to extend beyond the adjacent notches in the tie'sections that support the meeting ends of the said rails. The connecting members or fish plates 18 are centrally enlarged upon their outer faces as indicated by the numerals 19 and are channeled on their inner faces opposite the said enlargements. The channels present a straight lower wall and an upper inclined wall 21. The inner wall of the channel adjacent to the ends of the fish plate is provided with bolt openings 22 which are designed to aline with the notches. Surrounding the openings 22, upon the outer faces of the fish plates are bosses 23, the said bosses having transverse openings adjacent to the ends thereof which are indicated by the numerals 24. The fish plates 18 are arranged upon opposite sides of the rails as illustrated by the drawings, and

passing through the alining openings therein and through the notches in the tie sections are the threaded ends of rods 25. The rods are engaged by nuts 26 and 27 respectively, which arel designed to be screwed home against the bosses 28, but before the said bolts are screwed fully home bendable strips 28 are passed through the notches 24 in the bosses and, when the said nuts are screwed entirely home the outer ends of these plates are bent against the faces of the nuts, thereby locking the nuts against turning on the threaded ends of the rod.

rlhe opposite threaded ends of some of the rods 25 pass through clamp members 29. These clamp members are in the nature of blocks, being comparatively short with respect to the length of the fish plates 18, the said clamps being channeled upon their inner faces to provide a lower straight wall 30 and an upper inclined wall 3l. The lower wall 30 has a transverse depression 32 in a line with the opening in the end of the clamp. The clamps are arranged on the opposite sides of the rails and receive therethrough the ends of the rods 25. The threaded portions of the rods are engaged by nuts 33, and suitable locking means similar to that previously described may be provided for holding the nuts against turning.

It is, of course, to be understood that the lower straight walls of the channels in .both the fish plates and clamps underlie the flanges on the top portion of the tie sections, while the upper inclined walls provided by the said channels overlie the upper inclined faces of the base portions of the rails and have their ends engage with the webs of the rails. When the rails are to be supported upon the ties and Vsustained in spaced relation to each other between the joints of the rails the clamps and the securing means between the same are employed.

It is thought, from the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings, the simplicity of the construction and the advantages thereof will be readily apparent without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a railway construction, longitudinally arranged tie sections constructed of I-beams each of which having its head portion of a less width than its base portion and each of which being centrally formed with laterally extending webs having laterally extending base portions each connected with the base portions of the ties, rails designed to rest upon the heads of the tie sections, said tie sections having their heads adjacent their ends notched transversely, and said tie sections being disposed in oppositely arranged pairs, securing means for connecting the meeting ends of rails and for sustaining the rails on the ties as well as retaining'the tie sections in spaced relation with each other, comprising channeled members arranged on the opposite sides of the ties and rails and receiving therein the base flanges of the rails and the head flanges of the tie sections, bolt members passing through said Ichanneled members and through the referred to transverse notches in the heads of the tie sections, and locking means for said bolts contacting with both the inner and outer faces of the channeled members.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX `my signature.

LEANDER FORBES. 

